Camera support



J. T. HECK CAMERA SUPPORT 8, QSS..

Fi'led June 7, 1934 menlr Jam, T man,

Patented Oct. 8, 1935 CAMERA SUPPORT John T. Heck, Chicago, Ill.as"sig`nor to ,DaLite Screen Company, Inc., Chicago, I1l.a corpora.-

tion of Illinois Applicationlune 7, 1934, Serial No. 729,362

3 Claims.

-The present-invention relates to standards, supports, or rests .for cameras or the like during the-taking of their pictures, whereby-due to the steadinessand stabilitywhich suchmemberl affords'for the camerabetter photographic results 21 of the instant invention vis `to provide a camerasupporting structurel of i extremely Y simple construction and whichloccupies but small space when not-in use. l

A further-aim ofthe invention .is to supply-a` standard of this type which can-be lreadilywl-ised as a canewhen-not beingemployed in association f with-the camera.

Another purpose of the invention Ais to provide a construction of this` characterwhich can* be manufactured*economically and sold at a comparatively lowcgu-re, which can bev-manipulated with ease and facility, andv lwhich-isvunlikely to become injured Y or damaged in ordinary` service.

vIn order `that those skilled in this art may fully understand the invention, in the accompanying drawing iorming-apart-of this specication two preferred embodiments .of the inventionhave been shown, and, for the sake of clearness, like reference numerals, have been employed to designate the sameparts throughout the severalk Views.

In this drawing:-

Figure l shows one embodiment of theinvention in its contracted or collapsed conditionin whichit-may-be used as a cane;

Figure 2 shows the same structureA extended lengthwise for the application of a camera to its top end;

Figure 3 Ais an enlarged, fragmentary, central, longitudinal section through the standard when f the latter is telescoped to its shortest length;

Figure 4 is a similar View of the upper portion only of theappliance when it is readyvior the application of the camera thereto;

Figure5 `is a portion only of the central, longitudinal-Section through the inner-*land outer telescopicfmembers of the structure showing ythe devicev extended its: full length;

rvFigure 6 is a horizontal section on line 6--6 of liigure;` and Figure 7 is apartial view illustrating a different formloftop4 member or handle vfor thestandard or cane. Y

Referring tothe drawing, it willbe readily perceivedthat. the. combined camera support and cane. comprise an outer, elongated, cylindrical 5Y casing .or shell.. I-Iv closed at its lower end by a. suitably-shaped plug or closure I2 fitted and fastened therein in any. approved manner as by a pin and extended outwardlyior downwardly therefrom to form asupporting baseor end for the l0 structure, `such element' 1I?. being desirabl-ysomewhat tapered or rounded longitudinally both Afor the sake of appearance. and .for facilitating its functional. properties.

AtV its upper open end, shell II is inturned 15 slightly. to form a retaining` flange- I4 and, at a position vashort distance belowA such upper end, casing. II is embossed to form. a short length of screw-thread 413 .which may extend around such shell a quarter or a third or more of the circum- 20 ference thereof.

Slidable inside of such encasing shell is another cylindrical. or tubular member I5 having a plug I6. pinned at I'lor otherwise secured in its vtop orupper end, suchclosure I6 having an outward- 25 ly-.extended, ,centralv or axial, .screw-threaded stud I8'.

, A hollowknob or handle I9 has a. central screwthreaded aperture 2 Ir ktherethrough receiving the similarly-threaded stud onprojection I8, so that 30 the position of the knobfor handle on the stud may bevaried oradjusted lengthwise thereof by turning the part I9 relatively to such supporting member I8, Y

, Handle onknob I9; isopen at its-bottom and 35` thelower. portion of its interior is provided with a vcomparatively-coarse.screw-thread 22. arranged' and adapted to .coactor-to cooperate with the relatively-short, single screw-thread I3,` whereby .suchwknob or handle-may by means `of 40 the companion,screw-threads` I3.and 22 be fastenedtothe top end of the exterior shell or casing; II.. as .indicated in. Figures 1 and 3, in which-@position of course it supports the inner tube lmvsuspended insideof the-outer casing, T

propriately secured in place, such plug just below the end of such internal tube having a circular flange 2 slightly larger than the outside of the inner tube I and adapted, by coaction A with the inwardly directed flange I4 on the outer casing or shell, to prevent telescopic withdrawal of such inner member longitudinally from the outer encasing member.

Below such flange 24 member or part 23 has three cam surfaces 2B, shown in Figure 6, and a spirally-grooved or screw-threaded roller 21 is located between each such surface and the inner, cylindrical face of the outer shell II, all of these rollers being retained in place by a confining disc or washer 28 held against the lower end of the part 23 by a suitable screw 29.

Obviously, this cam and roller construction forms a clutch which is slidable with the inner tube I5 inside of and lengthwise of the outer tube II.

By turning the two parts II and I5 relatively to one another in one direction they may be firmly and securely clutched, clamped, or locked together, whereas the turning of such companion parts Va small amount in the opposite direction readily and quickly unclutches them or releases them from one another, thereby permitting any required or desired longitudinal ad- J'ustment of the internal member in the companion external one, whereupon they may be again clutched together with facility by the mere relative rotary action referred to.

Assuming that the elements of the structure are firmly held together in the relation presented in Figures 1 and 3, in which the knob or handle extends to the upper end of and therefore adequately shields and protects the threaded stud I8, the device is in its most compact or collapsed condition and may be conveniently employed as an ordinary cane.

When the operator wishes to use the device as a support for a camera during the exposure of its one or more films or plates, he turns the knob or ball I9 a small amount to release thread 22 from the correlated or companion thread I3, thus freeing the inner tube andthe parts which it carries from the outer tube, and after that he withdraws the inner tube from the outer one the needed amount or extent to attain the desired height adjustment of the standard as a whole and then turns the two tubular elements relatively to one another to clutch or lock them together.

Thereupon he spins the knob or handle on its supporting kstud so as to cause it to descend and bear on the outer face of the plug or clo-V sure I6, as shown in Figure 4; or, if preferred, he may entirely unscrew the knob or handle from the stud, removing it temporarily therefrom.

The camera may, in the usual way, be mounted on the portion of the stud jutting or protrudlng upwardly from the handle, assuming that the latter has been left on the stud, or on the corresponding part of the stud if the handle has lbeen taken off, and, during the taking ol the pictures, the standard or post, resting at its lower end on the ground or floor and maintained in upright or erect position by the hand of the user, acts to bear or hold the camera and to keep its correct unmoved position during the picture-taking operation.

Upon completion of the one or more film or plate exposures, the camera is unscrewed from and removed from the standard or support, the knobor handle `by turning is spun Vup on the stud until its top face is slightly above or about on a level with the upper end of the stud to protect the latter, or if the knob or handle has been cempletely removed from the stud previousvly it is applied thereto in the position just indi- 5 cated, then the two tubes are unclutched from one another and the inner one is slid down to its lowermost position in the outer one, whereupon the knob or handle is screwed onto the upper end of the exterior shell, thus holding all 10 of the parts securely fastened together, as will be readily understood from what precedes.

Instead of employing the round or ball-like knob illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, a different type of handle II9 may be used as illus- 15 trated in Figure 7.

The invention, defined as to its scope in the appended claims, is capable of a number of satisfactory embodiments in physical form and is therefore not limited and restricted to the precise and exact structural features sho-Wn, and, accordingly, various changes may be incorporated therein without departure from the heart and essence of the invention and without the loss or sacrifice of any of its material benefits and advantages.

I claim:

1. In an extensible and contractible single-leg standard adapted tosupport a camera, the combination of an elongated external casing having .a cylindrical interior and an open end, an inner member telescopically fitted in said casing and adapted to be extended therefrom through said open end varying amounts to adjust the length of the standard, a cam-and-roller clutch on said member inside of said casing adapted to clamp said member to said casing at any desired point of adjustment by turning said member and casing relatively to one another in one direction and to unclamp said member from said casing upon their relative turning in the opposite direction, said clutch when freed from clamping engagement with said casing being slidable lengthwise in said casing with said member, a stud on the outer end of said member constructed for detachable connection with a camera, a handle adjustably mounted on said stud and adapted to expose or shield said stud, and a detachable connection between said handle and the adjacent end of said casing. 2. In an extensible and contractible standard adapted to detachably support a camera, the combination of an elongated external casing having a cylindrical interior and an open end, an inner member telescopically tted in said casing and adapted to be extended out of the open end thereof varying amounts to alter the adjustment of the length of the standard, a cam-and-roller clutch on said member inside of said casing adapted to clamp said member to said casing by a relative rotary movement between said member and casing in one direction and to unclamp said member and casing upon a reverse relative rotary movement, said clutch being slidable in said casing with said member when said member and casing are unclamped from one another, a screwthreaded stud on the outer end of said member, a handle having a screw-threaded aperture receiving said stud whereby said handle is adjustable on said stud to expose the stud for the application of a camera thereto o-r to shield said camera receiving part thereof, and a detachable screw-threaded connection between said handle v and the corresponding end of said casing, whereby handle is applied to said casing and is in a position to shield said stud and may be employed as a camera support of adjustable height when the handle is freed from saidv casing and is in a position to expose a portion of the stud for the apiplication of the camera thereto and said member is held in adjusted position in said casing by means of said clutch.

3. In a longitudinally extensible and contractible single-leg standard designed to detachably support a camera, the combination of an elongated external casing open at its upper end, an inner member telescopically tted in said casing and adapted to be extended therefrom through -said open end for length adjustment of the standard, means at the upper end of said inner member for the demountable attachment of a camera thereto, a clutch inside of said casing adapted to clamp said member and casing together upon relative rotation of said member and casing in one direction and to unclamp said member and casing upon such rotation in the opposite direction to permit longitudinal adjustment of said member in said casing, and a shield having movement lengthwise of said member and adapted in the contracted condition of the standard to shield said camera attachment means and in an extended condition of the standard to expose said attachment means for use.

JOHN T. HECK. 

